Gingrich 'agreed entirely' with Romney on healthcare in 2006 memo

By Jonathan Easley
-
12/27/11 09:12 AM ET

Newt Gingrich agreed “entirely” with GOP rival Mitt Romney’s
Massachusetts healthcare plan, including portions of the individual
mandate, according to a memo written by the former House Speaker in
2006.

Romney’s healthcare plan has been the focus of attacks by his rivals,
who say it was the model used by the Obama administration in
implementing the Affordable Care Act. The individual mandate was the
centerpiece and most controversial aspect of the act, which has widely
been blasted by Republicans as government overreach.

But in a
memo discovered Monday on an old Gingrich website by Andrew Kaczynski at
Buzzfeed, Gingrich said then-Gov. Romney should be “commended” for
passing a universal healthcare package.

“We also believe strongly
that personal responsibility is vital to creating a 21st Century
Intelligent Health System,” Gingrich wrote. “Individuals who can afford
to purchase health insurance and simply choose not to place an
unnecessary burden on a system that is on the verge of collapse; these
free-riders undermine the entire health system by placing the onus of
responsibility on taxpayers.”

That differs sharply from the former House Speaker’s words in a 2010 interview with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News.

"It's
the forerunner of ObamaCare," Gingrich said. "It is a general model in a
general direction and it's the general direction that's wrong. And
that's why I'm suggesting you need to be thinking about fundamental
change, not just marginal reforms."

Gingrich has admitted that
his long history in Washington has necessitated that at times he change
positions on issues due to changing circumstances. However, many
conservatives see Romney’s healthcare law as the biggest strike against
him.

All of the Republican presidential candidates have vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act if elected president.

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